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Conor Grant appointed incoming Chairman of Racecourse Media Group

Published

3 years ago

January 19, 2023

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Conor Grant has been appointed incoming Chairman of Racecourse Media Group (RMG), the umbrella organisation for 35 British racecourse shareholders and parent company of Racing TV.

Grant will initially join as a Non-Executive Director on April 1, 2023 and then succeed Roger Lewis as Chairman on October 1, 2023.

Grant, an enthusiastic racehorse owner, brings to the role 24 years of experience in the UK and Irish gambling sector, including 14 years in senior executive roles. He was most recently CEO of Flutter UK & Ireland, which includes brands Sky Bet, Paddy Power, tombola and Betfair and, prior to that, was Chief Operating Officer of Sky Betting & Gaming.

In 2021, RMG’s racecourse shareholders were paid £110m, a figure which will be exceeded for the media and data revenues generated in 2022. RMG is 100% owned by its racecourse shareholders and pays 100% of operating profit back to racecourses, which, in turn, benefits the sport. This collective and collaborative approach has enabled RMG’s businesses to become the biggest single funder of British horseracing.

Grant said: “I am delighted to be joining Racecourse Media Group at such an exciting time for the business and the broader racing industry. RMG has delivered outstanding results for its shareholders in recent years and I would like to pay tribute to Roger who has done a fantastic job, along with CEO Martin Stevenson, in growing and developing the business. I look forward to working with the RMG team and continuing to deliver for all of our racecourses”

Nevin Truesdale, CEO of The Jockey Club and Non-Executive Director on the RMG Board, said: “I am delighted to welcome Conor to the RMG Board and to be working with him as we further develop the business for the benefit of its shareholder racecourses. Conor brings significant and in-depth expertise to the industry, acquired over a long period of time, and this will help shape our strategies and address the challenges we are facing.”

Adam Waterworth, MD of Events at the Goodwood Estate and Non-Executive Director on the RMG Board, said: “Conor brings a wealth of experience to the role, particularly through his senior roles at Sky Betting & Gaming, and then Flutter. He is perfectly positioned to take RMG forward and help build and strengthen our relationships across the industry.”

Outgoing Chairman, Roger Lewis, joined the RMG Board in 2012 and was appointed Non-Executive Independent Chairman on January 1, 2019. During his time on the Board, RMG has increased its licence fees and dividend payments to its racecourses from £45m to over £110m. He was due to step down in 2022 but was asked by the Board to extend his tenure to help oversee the transition. Independent Non-Executive Director Andy Anson will also be stepping down, in April, having completed his full tenure on the RMG Board, which he joined in 2017.

Lewis said: “It is a tribute to the team at RMG that we have secured Conor as our next Chair and we all welcome Conor’s appointment. I am confident that Conor will take RMG to even greater heights in the years to come. On behalf of the RMG Board, I would also like to thank Andy Anson, who has been a much-valued friend and colleague of us all for the past six years, chairing our Audit committee with great skill and commitment.

“RMG is in great shape. We are about to announce record results for the past year and I congratulate the executive team at RMG for consistently delivering the best possible returns for our racecourses and the sport of horseracing”

Truesdale added: “I would like to pay tribute to Roger Lewis for a very effective and successful stewardship of RMG, a business which is of fundamental importance to the financial performance of racecourses and therefore to the whole sport of horseracing. On behalf of everyone at the Jockey Club, I would like to thank Roger for all he has done for the business.”

bet365

Octoplay launches with bet365 in the UK

Published

2 hours ago

May 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

Octoplay has gone live with bet365 in the United Kingdom, adding the operator to its roster of tier-one partners in the regulated UK market.

The supplier said the bet365 rollout follows recent UK launches with Virgin Bet and BetVictor as it expands distribution with major local brands.

Outside the UK, Octoplay pointed to recent go-lives with Paf in Finland, PokerStars in Spain and Italy, and Superbet in Brazil.

“Our partnership with bet365 represents another step in our accelerating UK expansion,” says Ralitsa Georgieva, CEO at Octoplay. “Working with one of the industry’s most recognized operators validates our approach and builds on the momentum we’ve established through successful integrations with leading UK brands throughout 2025.”

“We are pleased to partner with Octoplay and introduce their game portfolio to our UK players,” says Clement Le Scanff, Head of Gaming at bet365. “Their focus on quality content and player engagement aligns with our commitment to providing the best entertainment to our customers.”

Octoplay said it holds active licenses in 17 jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, Malta, Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Greece, Spain, Finland, Brazil, New Jersey, Michigan, Ontario, and Georgia.

The post Octoplay launches with bet365 in the UK appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Barcelona Technology Campus

Zitro Achieves ISO 27001 Recertification at its Barcelona Technology Campus

Published

2 hours ago

May 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

zitro-achieves-iso-27001-recertification-at-its-barcelona-technology-campus

Zitro has successfully renewed its ISO 27001 certification for the Information Security Management System (ISMS) at its Barcelona Technology Campus. This achievement, framed within the company’s ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) commitments, reinforces its ongoing commitment to cybersecurity and ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of sensitive customer and employee data.

ISO 27001 is part of the ISO 27000 family of international standards for information security. This framework enables organisations to identify risks, implement effective controls and ensure information protection in line with global best practices, while also ensuring compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

For Zitro, this recertification confirms the rigorous and continuous work the company carries out in the field of information security. The Barcelona Technology Campus—dedicated to the development of software and hardware for the gaming industry—maintains the highest standards, and this recognition reflects the level of commitment embedded across all its processes.

The post Zitro Achieves ISO 27001 Recertification at its Barcelona Technology Campus appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Asia

Kazakhstan Orders Telecom Providers to Block Illegal Online Casino Payments via Mobile Balances

Published

2 hours ago

May 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

kazakhstan-orders-telecom-providers-to-block-illegal-online-casino-payments-via-mobile-balances

Kazakhstan authorities have moved to tighten controls on illegal online gambling payments after uncovering schemes that use mobile phone balances to fund unlicensed casino activity.

The Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA) issued instructions to telecom providers to strengthen monitoring and introduce systems to detect and block suspicious transactions.

According to the FMA, mobile operators including Tele2, Altel, Beeline, Kcell and Activ were called to a working meeting where regulators demonstrated how illicit payment flows to online casinos are being processed.

To verify the issue, the FMA carried out test purchases across 10 illegal online casino websites using services from all major mobile operators. The tests confirmed that payments via mobile balances were possible.

The agency stated that the goal is to cut off financial access to illegal operators and reduce public exposure to unregulated platforms. Further enforcement actions are expected as monitoring continues.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is preparing to significantly tighten rules on the promotion of illegal gambling. A group of senators is advancing an initiative to introduce criminal penalties for influencers who advertise online casinos and organise “giveaways.”

In related developments, a Kazakhstani influencer has recently been arrested in Vietnam on suspicion of running an illegal gambling operation.

Furthermore, the country is also restricting citizens’ access to legal gambling options, indicating a broader anti-gambling stance towards locals while still pursuing gambling tourism.

Lawmakers introduced rules restricting access to casinos, slot machine halls and betting venues in several regions to foreign nationals only. The changes will take effect on 17 May.

In March, President Tokayev signed a law establishing four new gambling zones for foreigners in the country.

The post Kazakhstan Orders Telecom Providers to Block Illegal Online Casino Payments via Mobile Balances appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.